Dynasty Forge Musha 1060B O-Katana (Updated 20 July 2012)
Jul 6, 2012 2:39:31 GMT
Post by Kuya on Jul 6, 2012 2:39:31 GMT
This isn't going to be a picture laden review, because there are many high quality pictures out there of the Dynasty Forge Musha O-Katanas. Mine is nothing special in that regard. It pretty much looks like the one pictured at Dynasty Forge and the review of the same model sword on the old SBG Forum, except mine doesn't have a cracked tsuka or saya rattle. There is one picture in the review, though, but it'll most likely disappoint most sword enthusiasts.
Introduction
WARNING: Skip the Introduction if you don't want to read a ridiculous and long-winded story of how I ended up with this sword.
This is the first "real" sword I've purchased. While I received my Cheness SGC Katana sooner, this sword was purchased two days before the Cheness. The story of coming to this sword is one of "settling." I wanted a larger katana, because even though I am not into anime and that whole fan scene, I was in high school when the original Final Fantasy VII was released on PlayStation... and got sucked into how ridiculously awesome Sephiroth was. And even though I can see and realize how equally ridiculous the whole younger generation "OMG ANIME IS SO COOL" is, one aspect I can't help but like is the "coolness" of Sephiroth. I try to justify it like a hipster and tell myself that I liked him before all the kids thought he was cool, but I'm not fooling anyone, especially myself. I guess it's just one of those things you like/love, regardless of reason and logic.
Anyway, I read on SBG/SMG that the Musashi Swords Odachi was a decent enough sword that wasn't just a joke of a wall-hanger. TrueSwords.com had it, but by the time I was able to get my economic situation in check and afford to get it, it was sold out. I contacted them in regards to whether or not it would be restocked several times, but received no reply.
After that, I discovered Cold Steel on YouTube. As you may have guessed, I totally got sucked into their marketing. I didn't want their nodachi, since it had a rather ugly super long handle, but their o-katana was bigger than your average katana, could cut through cars, and had the handle to blade proportions that were aesthetically pleasing to me. So I decided to settle for that. Alas, every reputable retailer was out of stock... and I wasn't willing to pay $600+ to get it from Cold Steel directly. I called and every "trustworthy looking" retailer that had it listed when I searched for it on Google, but each time I was saddened to hear that they in fact did not have it in stock and their website was wrong. I waited two months to see if the "back orders" would ever arrive, but they didn't.
In the meantime, I kept lurking around SBG and reading up on other manufacturers. I saw that Cheness had an O-Katana that got good reviews from SBG... but as we all know, Cheness stuff is ugly. I didn't want a fake hamon, I didn't like the hand guard, and I really didn't like the brown handle wrap. Upon more research, I found that Dynasty Forge was considered to be on par with Hanwei in terms of quality, and got their swords from a really good forge. The o-katana they had that fit my price range looked nice and had a classy "not so plain" theme. I figured that it was just "going to have to do," and settled for it.
So I bought it, and here we are. From the original 47" (119 cm) bladed Musashi Odachi, down to the "paltry" 31.5" (80 cm) Dynasty Forge O-Katana.
Historical overview
I'm not a historian, so I'm just going to quote what others have said.
Shoboshi's full review can be found here.
Full Disclosure
I'm a rookie when it comes to the sword scene. This review may not agree with the majority of veteran sword enthusiasts.
Initial Impressions
The sword came in a sword bag, wrapped in bubble wrap, in a cardboard box, wrapped in a lot of bubble wrap, within bigger cardboard box. All neatly done and easy to navigate through. A lot of care was put into making sure that it was safe during shipping.
As I do with every sword I get my hands on... just in case... I held it aloft and said, "By the power of Gray Skull, I have the power!"
Fabulous secrets were still not revealed to me, and neither I, nor my bunny rabbit, went through magical transformations.
Statistics
Name: Dynasty Forge Musha 1060B O-Katana
Steel: 1060 Spring Steel
Polish: Machine Polished
Bo-Hi: Yes
Temper: Mono-Tempered
Blade Length: 31.5" (80 cm)
Blade Height/Width: 1.37" (34.7 mm)
Blade Thickness: 0.28" - 0.19" (7.1 mm - 4.7 mm)
Weight: 2 lbs, 10 oz (1.19 kg)
Balance Point: 7" (18 cm)
Tsuka: 12" (30.5 cm)
Tsuba: Iron, Koi Theme
Fuchi-Kashira: Iron, Wave Theme
Menuki: Brass, Koi Theme
Ito: Black Cotton
Saya: Black, Stone Finish
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade is longer than your average Katana's blade, obviously. I've gotten so used to seeing the blade proportions of my Cheness SGC Katana (shorter and wider blade), that this one seems so lithe from the illusion of more length while being less wide.
The finish is a very even and "soft" satin type. What I really like is that the kissaki's finish is as good as the rest of the blade's! It plays a neat trick on my eyes, how the light source hits both of the evenly well-finished, but perpendicular, parts of the blade. There's no hamon to ruin the uniformity of the finish either. The bo-hi groove is even, smooth, and ends at a nice angle that adds to the good looks of the tip area.
The Handle/Tsuka
The black cotton wrap is almost as black (whatever dye was used isn't quite as deep) as a brand new cotton Hanes T-shirt. It works well, though, because the other fittings have a sort of flat/faded look to them. The white same is... white. I'm not trained well enough to judge the quality of bumpy white diamonds.
The fittings have a fish/water theme. The uniformity of it all is nice, and makes it kinda artsy. The only issue is that the menuki ornaments are really shiny, and clash with the rest of the fittings (or if you want to be positive, they "give a good contrast").
What I don't like is that it only has one mekugi peg to hold the bade in. It's much better looking (and I would assume safer) to have two.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba guard is round and continues the fish/water theme. Like the top and bottom "caps" on the handle, it too has a flat/faded black finish. It doesn't move in any direction, and feels solid and strong despite the design theme within the ring causing it to have a lot of "open/blank" space.
The Scabbard/Saya
While your basic black in color, the "stone/flake" finish is a very nice departure from the standard piano lacquered black. The sword fits very well in it, and there is no rattle when it's shook. The knob for the cord, tip, and collar are shiny black bull horn pieces. They're a nice accent, if a bit out of place with their shininess. The sageo cord is also black and thin. It's a slightly deeper and shinier black than the handle wrap.
Handling Characteristics
After coming from a Cheness SGC Katana, I'm rather confused as to how this sword feels. It's only about 5 oz (142 g) lighter, and the point of balance is about 1" (2.5 cm) further from the hand guard... but it feels so much lighter and graceful! How this sword feels while wielding it really hides its size and weight.
All of my other swords don't have a bo-hi groove, so when I swung this one around, the sound was a really nice surprise. I'm definitely going to buy another sword with a bo-hi groove to "beat on." The sound just adds a lot more satisfaction to the experience of wielding the sword.
Test Cutting
I've done the paper cutting test where you slide it along a piece of paper you're holding, and the blade sliced through it it easily. I won't be doing any other test cutting, as I don't want to scratch the finish.
Conclusions
I am very happy with this sword. For its price, I got more than I expected. The overall matching theme of the fittings was nice to have, and the quality of the materials and "fit and finish" exceeded my expectations. Then again, this feeling could also be because it followed the opening act of the Cheness SGC Katana, which cost the same amount of money.
While the flat/faded finish of some compotnents does give the sword a more "antique" look, it would have been nice for the handle wrap and iron fittings to be deep and lustrous/shiny to match the shiny brass menuki ornaments and bull horn fittings of the saya.
I said in the introduction that I "settled" for this sword, but now I know that all the failures and disappointments of me not getting those other swords was Fate making sure that I met this one!
Pros
+ Hides its size well.
+ Very sharp out of the box.
+ High-end fit and finish.
+ Bang for the buck.
Cons
- HIgh-end fit and finish isn't perfect (but if you are looking for pefect at this price range, you're insane).
- Not enough cons to make me look unbiased, even though I'm doing my best.
The Bottom Line
If you're tall enough to keep it from hitting the ground, and have long enough arms to draw it easily. There is no reason you should not get this sword if you want a katana. It's well priced, has great fit and finish, and is an absolute joy to wield.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars.
This sword is so elegant and graceful, I have a crush on it.
Updated Information
20 July 2012
I took the plunge and cut some beach mats after seeing that they didn't add any scratches to the surface of my Kris Cutlery 29-II. This sword cut through them like nothing, and the weight and balance was very comfortable. There was no feeling of "shock" at all. I then decided to splurge and do "double rolls" (yeah, they're beach mats and not tatami... but it's still more stuff to cut through than my normal targets)... hot knife, butter.
Having just enough mats left to test all three of my swords against, I rolled up some "triple rolls" and soaked them. They soaked for over a day, since I ended up having to go out yesterday. Not sure if that messes up the proper density or whatever. Either way, out of my three swords, this one performed the best against the triple rolls. No failed cuts and the stand didn't fall over at all. This was the only sword of my three to not have caused the stand to fall over from the force/drag on the mats while cutting through.
My crush on this sword has deepened.
Introduction
WARNING: Skip the Introduction if you don't want to read a ridiculous and long-winded story of how I ended up with this sword.
This is the first "real" sword I've purchased. While I received my Cheness SGC Katana sooner, this sword was purchased two days before the Cheness. The story of coming to this sword is one of "settling." I wanted a larger katana, because even though I am not into anime and that whole fan scene, I was in high school when the original Final Fantasy VII was released on PlayStation... and got sucked into how ridiculously awesome Sephiroth was. And even though I can see and realize how equally ridiculous the whole younger generation "OMG ANIME IS SO COOL" is, one aspect I can't help but like is the "coolness" of Sephiroth. I try to justify it like a hipster and tell myself that I liked him before all the kids thought he was cool, but I'm not fooling anyone, especially myself. I guess it's just one of those things you like/love, regardless of reason and logic.
Anyway, I read on SBG/SMG that the Musashi Swords Odachi was a decent enough sword that wasn't just a joke of a wall-hanger. TrueSwords.com had it, but by the time I was able to get my economic situation in check and afford to get it, it was sold out. I contacted them in regards to whether or not it would be restocked several times, but received no reply.
After that, I discovered Cold Steel on YouTube. As you may have guessed, I totally got sucked into their marketing. I didn't want their nodachi, since it had a rather ugly super long handle, but their o-katana was bigger than your average katana, could cut through cars, and had the handle to blade proportions that were aesthetically pleasing to me. So I decided to settle for that. Alas, every reputable retailer was out of stock... and I wasn't willing to pay $600+ to get it from Cold Steel directly. I called and every "trustworthy looking" retailer that had it listed when I searched for it on Google, but each time I was saddened to hear that they in fact did not have it in stock and their website was wrong. I waited two months to see if the "back orders" would ever arrive, but they didn't.
In the meantime, I kept lurking around SBG and reading up on other manufacturers. I saw that Cheness had an O-Katana that got good reviews from SBG... but as we all know, Cheness stuff is ugly. I didn't want a fake hamon, I didn't like the hand guard, and I really didn't like the brown handle wrap. Upon more research, I found that Dynasty Forge was considered to be on par with Hanwei in terms of quality, and got their swords from a really good forge. The o-katana they had that fit my price range looked nice and had a classy "not so plain" theme. I figured that it was just "going to have to do," and settled for it.
So I bought it, and here we are. From the original 47" (119 cm) bladed Musashi Odachi, down to the "paltry" 31.5" (80 cm) Dynasty Forge O-Katana.
Historical overview
I'm not a historian, so I'm just going to quote what others have said.
Shoboshi wrote
I will admit that I was able to find very little in the way of history on the O-katana. Knowing that katana were not made to a specified length, but instead to the wielder, it is possible they were simply made for taller samurai. The standard seems to be that anything under 12" is a tanto, more than 12" but less than 24" a wakizashi, and more than 24" but less than 30" a katana. More than 30" an O-katana.
I will admit that I was able to find very little in the way of history on the O-katana. Knowing that katana were not made to a specified length, but instead to the wielder, it is possible they were simply made for taller samurai. The standard seems to be that anything under 12" is a tanto, more than 12" but less than 24" a wakizashi, and more than 24" but less than 30" a katana. More than 30" an O-katana.
Shoboshi's full review can be found here.
Cheness wrote
O-Katana literally translates to "Large Katana". The length of the O-katanas are generally longer than can be drawn from the scabbard from the waist without twisting the torsal and pulling back the scabbard. It has the mass to carry it through tough targets with ease and an extended reach relative to standard katanas.
O-Katana literally translates to "Large Katana". The length of the O-katanas are generally longer than can be drawn from the scabbard from the waist without twisting the torsal and pulling back the scabbard. It has the mass to carry it through tough targets with ease and an extended reach relative to standard katanas.
Full Disclosure
I'm a rookie when it comes to the sword scene. This review may not agree with the majority of veteran sword enthusiasts.
Initial Impressions
The sword came in a sword bag, wrapped in bubble wrap, in a cardboard box, wrapped in a lot of bubble wrap, within bigger cardboard box. All neatly done and easy to navigate through. A lot of care was put into making sure that it was safe during shipping.
As I do with every sword I get my hands on... just in case... I held it aloft and said, "By the power of Gray Skull, I have the power!"
Fabulous secrets were still not revealed to me, and neither I, nor my bunny rabbit, went through magical transformations.
Statistics
Name: Dynasty Forge Musha 1060B O-Katana
Steel: 1060 Spring Steel
Polish: Machine Polished
Bo-Hi: Yes
Temper: Mono-Tempered
Blade Length: 31.5" (80 cm)
Blade Height/Width: 1.37" (34.7 mm)
Blade Thickness: 0.28" - 0.19" (7.1 mm - 4.7 mm)
Weight: 2 lbs, 10 oz (1.19 kg)
Balance Point: 7" (18 cm)
Tsuka: 12" (30.5 cm)
Tsuba: Iron, Koi Theme
Fuchi-Kashira: Iron, Wave Theme
Menuki: Brass, Koi Theme
Ito: Black Cotton
Saya: Black, Stone Finish
The Blade/Nagasa
The blade is longer than your average Katana's blade, obviously. I've gotten so used to seeing the blade proportions of my Cheness SGC Katana (shorter and wider blade), that this one seems so lithe from the illusion of more length while being less wide.
The finish is a very even and "soft" satin type. What I really like is that the kissaki's finish is as good as the rest of the blade's! It plays a neat trick on my eyes, how the light source hits both of the evenly well-finished, but perpendicular, parts of the blade. There's no hamon to ruin the uniformity of the finish either. The bo-hi groove is even, smooth, and ends at a nice angle that adds to the good looks of the tip area.
The Handle/Tsuka
The black cotton wrap is almost as black (whatever dye was used isn't quite as deep) as a brand new cotton Hanes T-shirt. It works well, though, because the other fittings have a sort of flat/faded look to them. The white same is... white. I'm not trained well enough to judge the quality of bumpy white diamonds.
The fittings have a fish/water theme. The uniformity of it all is nice, and makes it kinda artsy. The only issue is that the menuki ornaments are really shiny, and clash with the rest of the fittings (or if you want to be positive, they "give a good contrast").
What I don't like is that it only has one mekugi peg to hold the bade in. It's much better looking (and I would assume safer) to have two.
The Guard/Tsuba
The tsuba guard is round and continues the fish/water theme. Like the top and bottom "caps" on the handle, it too has a flat/faded black finish. It doesn't move in any direction, and feels solid and strong despite the design theme within the ring causing it to have a lot of "open/blank" space.
The Scabbard/Saya
While your basic black in color, the "stone/flake" finish is a very nice departure from the standard piano lacquered black. The sword fits very well in it, and there is no rattle when it's shook. The knob for the cord, tip, and collar are shiny black bull horn pieces. They're a nice accent, if a bit out of place with their shininess. The sageo cord is also black and thin. It's a slightly deeper and shinier black than the handle wrap.
Handling Characteristics
After coming from a Cheness SGC Katana, I'm rather confused as to how this sword feels. It's only about 5 oz (142 g) lighter, and the point of balance is about 1" (2.5 cm) further from the hand guard... but it feels so much lighter and graceful! How this sword feels while wielding it really hides its size and weight.
All of my other swords don't have a bo-hi groove, so when I swung this one around, the sound was a really nice surprise. I'm definitely going to buy another sword with a bo-hi groove to "beat on." The sound just adds a lot more satisfaction to the experience of wielding the sword.
Test Cutting
I've done the paper cutting test where you slide it along a piece of paper you're holding, and the blade sliced through it it easily. I won't be doing any other test cutting, as I don't want to scratch the finish.
Conclusions
I am very happy with this sword. For its price, I got more than I expected. The overall matching theme of the fittings was nice to have, and the quality of the materials and "fit and finish" exceeded my expectations. Then again, this feeling could also be because it followed the opening act of the Cheness SGC Katana, which cost the same amount of money.
While the flat/faded finish of some compotnents does give the sword a more "antique" look, it would have been nice for the handle wrap and iron fittings to be deep and lustrous/shiny to match the shiny brass menuki ornaments and bull horn fittings of the saya.
I said in the introduction that I "settled" for this sword, but now I know that all the failures and disappointments of me not getting those other swords was Fate making sure that I met this one!
Pros
+ Hides its size well.
+ Very sharp out of the box.
+ High-end fit and finish.
+ Bang for the buck.
Cons
- HIgh-end fit and finish isn't perfect (but if you are looking for pefect at this price range, you're insane).
- Not enough cons to make me look unbiased, even though I'm doing my best.
The Bottom Line
If you're tall enough to keep it from hitting the ground, and have long enough arms to draw it easily. There is no reason you should not get this sword if you want a katana. It's well priced, has great fit and finish, and is an absolute joy to wield.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars.
This sword is so elegant and graceful, I have a crush on it.
Updated Information
20 July 2012
I took the plunge and cut some beach mats after seeing that they didn't add any scratches to the surface of my Kris Cutlery 29-II. This sword cut through them like nothing, and the weight and balance was very comfortable. There was no feeling of "shock" at all. I then decided to splurge and do "double rolls" (yeah, they're beach mats and not tatami... but it's still more stuff to cut through than my normal targets)... hot knife, butter.
Having just enough mats left to test all three of my swords against, I rolled up some "triple rolls" and soaked them. They soaked for over a day, since I ended up having to go out yesterday. Not sure if that messes up the proper density or whatever. Either way, out of my three swords, this one performed the best against the triple rolls. No failed cuts and the stand didn't fall over at all. This was the only sword of my three to not have caused the stand to fall over from the force/drag on the mats while cutting through.
My crush on this sword has deepened.